Kai Kara-France vs. Cody Garbrandt is on the main card for UFC 269 betting on December 11.
This should be an intriguing bout with former bantamweight champ Garbrant making his flyweight debut against the No. 6-ranked contender Kara-France. UFC betting lines opened with Garbrandt installed as a -189 favorite but have since shortened to -150, while Kara-France comes back at +125.
Here are our best free Kara-France vs. Garbrandt picks and predictions for Saturday, December 11 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Kara-France vs Garbrandt fight odds
Live odds courtesy of the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
Kara-France vs Garbrandt method of victory odds
| Method of Victory | Kai Kara-France | Cody Garbrandt |
|---|---|---|
| To win by KO/TKO | +360 | +190 |
| To win by Points | +340 | +300 |
| To win by Submission | +1,800 | +1,600 |
| Draw | +5,000 | +5,000 |
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook as of December 8, 2021.
Kara-France vs Garbrandt pick
Click on pick to jump to the full analysis.
USA: Sign up with Caesars and get your first bet matched up to $1,001! Claim Now
Canada: Get a 100%-matched sign-up bonus (up to $400) at BetVictor. Claim Now
Kara-France vs Garbrandt betting preview
Kai Kara-France is fresh off a first-round knockout win against Rogério Bontorin in March which allowed him to bounce back from a submission loss to Brandon Royval. The 28-year-old had an extensive MMA career around the world before making his UFC debut in 2018. He's 5-2 in the octagon with his only defeats coming against Royval and current champ Brandon Moreno.
The New Zealand native fights out of City Kickboxing, which also trains UFC title-holders Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski. He's a high-volume striker who averages 5.02 significant strikes per minute and has a lot of pop in his right hand.
Cody "No Love" Garbrandt will make his flyweight debut after losing a one-sided decision to Rob Font in May. The 30-year-old began his career with a perfect 11-0 record and defeated Dominick Cruz to claim the 135-pound title in 2016. He has gone just 1-4 since then, with two knockout losses to T.J. Dillashaw and another finish at the hands of Pedro Munhoz.
Garbrandt will try to revive his career at 125 pounds and has excellent boxing ability that he combines that with speed, cardio, and knockout power.
Kara-France vs Garbrandt tale of the tape
| Kai Kara-France | Cody Garbrandt | |
|---|---|---|
| 28 | Age | 30 |
| 5-foot-4 | Height | 5-foot-8 |
| 125 lbs | Weight | 136 lbs |
| 69 inches | Reach | 65 inches |
| 22-9-0 (10 KO) | Record | 12-4-0 (10 KO) |
Kara-France vs Garbrandt UFC prediction and betting pick
Garbrandt moneyline (-150)
There are always questions about whether dropping down in weight class will drain a fighter's strength, cardio, and chin. That said, Garbrandt has been teasing the move down to 125 pounds for a while and says he walks around at 145, which is comparable to the bigger fighters in this division.
We've seen Jose Aldo revitalize his career at a lighter weight so it's certainly possible, and while Garbrandt has a reputation for being a bit "chinny," I think his knockout losses to Dillashaw and Munhoz had more to do with his recklessness. Garbrandt simply didn't have the reach to deal with Font, but he has shown more of a measured approach in his last two fights, which will serve him well against Kara-France.
Nicknamed "Don't Blink" for the first-round finishes that filled up his resume earlier in his career, Kara-France hasn't found things quite so easy now that he's facing tougher opponents. Before knocking out Bontorin, he hadn't won by KO/TKO in nine straight fights and I think Garbrandt's boxing and power will be too much for him to handle.
